This invention relates to the field of ancillary surgical equipment, specifically apparatus for holding and presenting pre-wetted surgical patties for individual selection and use by a physician during the course of an operation.
Surgical sponges are typically provided as pre-sterilized packs of patties of appropriate sizes, each of which has an attached cord for selection, removal, and manipulation of the patty. Such patties are typically packed as multiple units of patties of varying sizes on squares of cardboard or similar material; the individual string may be separated into individual notches for ease of identification and selection of a specific patty. The entire unit is sterilized and pre-wrapped. The disadvantage of this pack is that the patties must normally be used in a moistened state and such pre-moistening tends to damage the container.
Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,653 to Praderio discloses a container for a plurality of patties having individual count slots for placement of each of the strings attached to the patties. The patties themselves are mounted into recesses for the introduction of wetting fluid.
Much of the effort in providing trays for patties is concentrated on the requirement that patties be counted and accounted for to insure removal from the patient's body before the surgical incision is closed. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,390 to Ferreri discloses an enclosed tray for containing patties having therein a vertically mounted card with provided numbered slits for holding individual patty strings to provide a count.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,231 to Patience discloses a patty collection device having a multiplicity of pockets in which a specific number of patties may be placed to provide a visual count. A related concept is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,513 to Eldridge in which an implement collector is shown having a series of provided soft ridges with slits, each numbered for the placement of used surgical needles and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,153 to Olsen shows a patty disposal tray in which individual cups, accessible through slits in an otherwise encovering top sheet, may be used for the placement of individual patties.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,447 to McWilliams discloses a tray for placement upon a disposal bucket, having notches for the draping of used patties so the exact number of patties that have been disposed of may be known.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,789 to Puckett discloses a patty counter in which an accordion folded series of open topped plastic bags are provided within an overall flexible cardboard holder so that they can be opened and hung from the side of a disposal bucket or kick bucket, each used for the receipt of a fixed number of patties.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,332 discloses a patty holder bag again with individual notches for each of the patty cords in which the patties are weighed to determine the number of patties received and disposed of.